PVS stands for "Prototype Verification System." It consists of a specification language integrated with support tools and a theorem prover. PVS tries to provide the mechanization needed to apply formal methods both rigorously and productively.

This tutorial serves to introduce PVS. In the first section, we briefly sketch the purposes for which PVS is intended and the rationale behind its design, mention some of the uses that we and others are making of it, and explain how to get a copy of the system. In Section 2, we use a simple example to briefly introduce the major functions of PVS; Sections 3 and 4 then give more detail on the PVS language and theorem prover, respectively, also using examples. The PVS language, system, and theorem prover each have their own reference manuals, 1,2,3 which you will need to study in order to make productive use of the system. A pocket reference card, summarizing all the features of the PVS language, system, and prover is also available.

This tutorial does not introduce the general ideas of formal methods, nor explain how formal specification and verification can best be applied to various problem domains; rather, its purpose is to introduce some of the more unusual and powerful capabilities that are provided by PVS. Consequently, this document, and the examples we use, are somewhat technical and are most suitable for those who already have some experience with formal methods and wish to understand how PVS provides mechanized support for some of the more challenging aspects of formal methods.